Parents say security should be top priority in schools

Parents say their children’s safety is their first concern when the school bell sounds.

The recent spree of shootings in schools has put parents on higher alert than ever, and many are noticing that security in their children’s schools can improve.

Brett Newton, a Fort Collins locksmith, does work in schools in Fort Collins and Windsor and is rarely questioned as he strolls through the halls.

“They’ve all instituted a policy where they’d like you to sign in, but I’ve noticed, maybe because I’m a contractor, they more or less let me walk through schools,” he said. “… I found it a little odd that they don’t question me more or check in my tool bag or things like that.”

His daughter attends an elementary school in Fort Collins. He typically checks in at the front desk, but admits to occasionally going past the office to drop something off.

“I’ve walked directly to her classroom, and nobody has said a word,” Newton said.

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Jeremiah Bullard is parent of two students at Chappelow Middle School in Evans. He said while the school has a policy for visitor check-ins, he’s never noticed anyone watching the front doors.

“It seems like it would be extraordinarily easy for someone to walk into the school and do whatever they wanted to do unchecked,” Bullard said.

He acknowledged that Greeley-Evans School District 6 has a lot of issues to address by being on state accreditation watch. “They’re doing the best they can, but there are things they could do better,” he said.

Newton said some school officials ask for security systems that would allow someone to lock an outside door from another location inside the building.

“My immediate thought on that is, ‘Why isn’t it locked to begin with?’ ” he said. “…The school districts don’t have the money to do these things and at the same time you think they should be coming up with the money. How can you put a price on your kids’ safety?”

He was encouraged, though, during a visit to Windsor High School last week. Newton noticed all side doors were locked while school was in session, restricting access to only one location — the front door.